The present application generally relates to a portable/desktop ultrasound medical diagnostic imaging device, in particular, to a locking mechanism for probe connector and a portable ultrasonic device having the same.
At present, the portable/desktop ultrasound diagnostic imaging device is more and more widely used in clinical and hospital. It is not only used in some traditional medical fields, such as abdomen examination, cardiac examination, and gynecologial and obstetric examination, but also becomes to extend into many new applications, such as helping to diagnose patient visceral injury condition in emergency room or ambulance and helping surgeon to perform a vein puncture operation in operating room.
The portable ultrasound device is just one of portable ultrasound medical diagnostic imaging devices. The portable ultrasound device comprises a probe and a probe connector. The probe is used for transmitting and receiving an ultrasound signal to and from the interior of a human body, which ultrasound signal is then input into the ultrasound device for signal processing and medical imaging. The probe is connected to the ultrasound device by means of the probe connector. Normally because of the limit of space, one portable ultrasound master device is only configured with one female probe connector, and the probe end is provided with a male probe connector (Of course, the primary device may also be provided with a male probe connector, and the probe end is provided with a female probe connector.). The female probe connector on the primary device can be connected each time with a probe by means of the male probe connector at the probe end. Because one probe normally can be used in one or several applications, for example the abdomen probe is normally used for imaging of internal organ of the abdomen, while the superficial probe is used for imaging of superficial blood vessels, the user must replace the different types of probes for different applications when in use of this type of portable ultrasound device. Besides, it needs to lock the male probe connector tightly on the female probe connector to ensure a stable and reliable electrical connection to obtain the optimal image when in replacement of the probe.
In the prior art, normally the female probe connector is provided with a square shaft rotatable to drive a grab within the female connector to rotate and the connection terminal to project/retract. In the locking mechanism in the prior art that locks the male probe connector to a female probe connector, normally the square shaft is provided thereon with a dialing lever and a dialing knob. When the male probe connector at the probe end is connected in place, the dialing lever and the square shaft are driven to rotate by dialing the dialing knob to rotate to lock tight the inner grab and project the connector terminal of the connector, thereby locking the male and female probe connectors and ensuring good electrical connection, or vice versa, releasing the male and female probe connectors.
Such locking mechanism can satisfy the conventional application requirements. In new application fields, however, such structure causes the probe connector to be exposed to outside environments such as operation and to be prone to contamination of blood splash and external environments.
In addition, in emergency treatment or operation, frequent replacement of probes is very time-consuming and tedious. Especially for emergency situations such as emergent operation, each second may be a matter of life of the patient.